Abstract

This paper presents an analytic approach to simulating current crowding (CC) in light-emitting diodes with parallel p- and n-contacts. The electrical potential difference across the p–i–n layers is derived from the Laplace equation, whereas the current density through the p–i–n layers is obtained from the current density – voltage relation of a single-diode model. Since these two properties influence each other, they are calculated iteratively. It is found that CC depends on the applied voltage (or the average current density), the sheet resistances of the p- and the n-contact layers, the width of the active region, and the specific series resistance and ideality factor of the p–i–n layers.